Every Day, Trans Lives Matter

Trans lives matter every day, not just on the Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR).

Last night, during Lambda Legal’s TDOR event co-presented with the Center on Halsted, I was sitting in an auditorium packed to the brim with transgender folks & allies, and could not help but feel some relief from the sadness that usually consumes most of us on TDOR. Instead, I found myself listening to the words of activists Angelica Ross and Alexis Martinez, both of whom called for our LGBQ brothers and sisters to show up for transgender justice- not just on TDOR but to share the struggle with us every day. The candor that sliced through the room at that moment hit me hard, and I found myself filled with pride for what our movement has deemed “resilience”. For myself, resilience is not facing your challenges or standing up to injustice; resilience is simply living and more importantly, surviving. At its core, I believe resilience is a fundamental transgender experience. We do not set out to resist and survive but rather simply by living our lives, we have accomplished resilience. 

TDOR, for many transgender people, often forces us to confront the many fears that swim in and out of our thoughts on a daily basis. Yet, in a similar way, TDOR is also a day to remember that those whose lives have been taken from us have, in fact, resisted just by self-determining their lives and living their own truths. Angelica Ross said it best last night when she said, “trans lives will not be forgotten. You can remove us, even kill us, and we will still be here. You cannot kill our spirit or our memory.” The fear and violence endure cannot take away the power we have to self-determine our lives. 

In many parts of the country, this week was filled with marches, rallies, and performances, honoring the transgender folks we have lost but also to celebrate our the living. TDOR, although a somber and daunting event for many of us, is an important day to recalibrate and assess the needs of our communities. Although heavy in theme, this day calls us to gather and lift up our community in whatever way we can. As we read the names of those who have passed with heavy hearts, we also gather as a collective to remind ourselves that every single day transgender lives matter.